Need help on irrigation

Hi all...I have moved to new house which has got ample space around to do gardening. I'm a retired person and I feel gardening would help me spend my time wisely. But it's an irony that I don't know the basics of irrigation and gardening, the reason why I'm here. I went through blogs and articles on irrigation and came across Rain bird irrigation, drip irrigation and many other types. But I don't know what might suit my soil. Is it necessary to test the soil before installing an irrigation type? I also need to connect the lawn irrigation system to home water supply , which I believe requires a plumbing professional. I'm not pretty sure of the irrigation design and I require help and advice on the planning and the necessary measures to be undertook. All comments invited....